


Guilt

by AlexBarton



Series: Adventures in Karamore: The Cardinal Locks [17]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Karamore - Fandom
Genre: Arguing, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Guilt, Karamore, Mention of Canonical Character Death, Necromancy, Resurrection, revivify
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28545390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexBarton/pseuds/AlexBarton
Summary: Dorian and Elijah have words about who is really at fault for Cassidy's death. (Spoiler alert: It's still Dorian, even if Elijah doesn't know that.)Karamore was created by the amazingly talented CaptainMorgan.Based on our D&D escapades.
Relationships: Kis Everly Rosewood/Valarie Reavis
Series: Adventures in Karamore: The Cardinal Locks [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1488608





	Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place directly after [Frost](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27503002) and a TPK, but we were brought back by Pear, the time-travelling firbolg. Before we died, one of our NPC members was ripped in half, and this fic deals with the aftermath of that, skipping the second fight with the construct.

Dorian watches as Kis gracefully leaps off the construct, twin blades cleaving furrows down its body. Two pulses, one of bright blue energy and one of black smoke, burst out and then coalesce in a shockwave of force that sends them all sprawling. He staggers to his feet, confirming that the fight is over before running over to Josef’s still form.

The inky tendrils of his _Gentle Repose_ still twist over the two halves of the fighter’s body, trying to connect but unable to. He spares a faint thought of thanks to Tusmjir for allowing his Necromancy to be _good_ , to be _helpful_.

Kis and Elijah join him a few seconds later.

Dorian gestures to their fallen friend as he speaks to the cleric. “Fix him.”

“With what? A needle and thread?”

Dorian’s patience has already been tested the entire time they’ve been on this continent, and it’s wearing thinner and thinner. “Bring him back. If we hold his body together, it’ll heal when you resurrect him.”

Elijah shakes his head. “I can’t.”

“And why not?”

The cleric shoots a dirty look at the wizard. “I need a diamond. And I don’t have one.”

Dorian takes a deep breath, clenching his teeth as he speaks. “And why don’t you have one?”

Elijah turns and faces him, the animosity clear on his face. “When did I have the chance to get a diamond, Dorian?”

“Oh I don’t know, perhaps _anytime_ before we came to Apoth, _like I did._ ”

That makes the cleric pause for a moment. “You have a diamond I can use?”

Dorian folds his arms over his chest. “I do. Would you care to tell me why you are walking around without the spell components you need?”

The animosity is back on Elijah’s face now, “How about you give me the diamond now, and we can argue later?”

Dorian knows that the spell he cast lasts for ten days, but even he is not so cruel as to make them all suffer through the pain of a dead friend for that long. Clenching his jaw, he reaches into his component pouch and pulls out the precious diamond, dropping it into Elijah’s hand while avoiding skin contact with the half-elf.

He watches as Kis holds Josef’s body together and Elijah prays to Lathander, saying the words of the _Revivify_ rite, the diamond shattering and absorbing into the fighter’s skin. There’s a tense pause, and then Josef takes a heaving breath, opening his eyes, and grabbing Elijah’s face for a kiss. Dorian would find the situation amusing if not for the fact that the fighter thanks _Elijah_ for bringing him back, the irritation he’d swallowed down burning bright again like the buildings aflame around them. 

The fighter then looks around, presumably at the on-fire village, and asks, “What did I miss?”

“Elijah not being prepared for anything,” Dorian says acerbically.

The cleric shoots him a venomous look. “Can we discuss this later?”

Dorian’s eyes darken. “Oh, we _will_.” Then he turns on his heel and walks back towards the fortress, following Kis into the library.

His anger is quelled momentarily as he takes in the sight of a Grell hovering over the still-sleeping form of Valarie. Kis rushes to attack the creature, and Dorian calls out for Kaide before finishing it off with a _Chromatic_ _Orb_.

A few seconds later, both Kaide and Elijah run through the door.

“We’re fine now,” Kis says, kneeling next to her girlfriend.

Elijah moves over to Valarie, checking to make sure the monk was indeed fine.

“She said we’re fine,” Dorian bites out.

The cleric concludes the Valarie just needs sleep and tells Kis as much, then stands up facing Dorian, putting his hands in his pockets. “Out with it, then.”

Dorian is shaking slightly, but his voice is deceptively calm. “Would you care to explain, Elijah, _why_ it is that you don’t have the needed components for your spells? Particularly the _one_ spell that _only you_ can cast?" 

Elijah opened his mouth to reply, but Dorian continued on, “Let me ask you something. Do I go to a cursed continent, go _anywhere_ , without my spell components? No, I do not.”

“Yeah, well fortunately not all of us are like you Dorian,” Elijah cuts in.

Dorian can feel the magic coiling under his skin and takes a deep breath to contain it, never breaking eye contact with the half-elf, even as he tracks the movement of Josef limping in. “Don’t you say a _damn thing_ about my magic. I gave you more time to bring Josef back with the same magic you hate me for. And it wouldn’t have meant a damn thing if I didn’t have the diamond. He still would’ve died, just like the last time this happened.”

The cleric’s eyes narrow dangerously. “Are you saying it’s my fault Cassidy died?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Enough!” an unfamiliar voice calls out. 

They all turn to see Kaiser, finally awake.

The young red dragon makes some quip that Dorian is only half paying attention to, his hands still shaking with anger. 

The wizard quickly makes his way out of both the library and the fortress, but not before he notices Josef speaking quietly to Elijah. He picks up a soft, _“You know Cassidy wasn’t your fault right?”_ before he’s out of earshot, and it does nothing to dampen the flames that sear through his veins. 

It’s bracingly cold outside, even with half of Hartenstock still aflame, and Dorian takes a few deep breaths. He needs to call Kaspar and Sorrice, needs to figure out what the next step is. 

He can already feel the regret of what he’d said to Elijah press in his throat. He swallows it down, blinking away the tears welling in his eyes. 

He already knows it’s really _his_ fault that Cassidy is dead. 

**Author's Note:**

> For more information on Karamore, see our campaign Tumblr:  
> karamore-aesthetic.tumblr.com


End file.
